Secure network access to infusion pump

• US 10,306,012 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fenwal Incorporated (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Fenwal Incorporated (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Inventors: Moskal, Witold
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David R
• Application Number:
  US15/331,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20170149929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

A system for secure network access to an infusion pump has an infusion pump and a server computer. The infusion pump includes a network interface circuit configured to provide communications over a network, the network interface circuit configured to provide a communication port. The infusion pump includes a processing circuit to open a communication port on the network interface circuit and transmit infusion pump data to a server computer over the network. The processing circuit is configured to transmit to the server computer a request for a command from the server computer and receive a command from the server computer. The processing circuit is configured to determine whether the command is on a predetermined list of commands, the predetermined list of commands being a subset of functions the infusion pump is configured to perform and, if so, process the command and close the communication port.

Claims

1. An infusion pump having improved network access security, comprising:

a network interface circuit configured to provide communications over a network, the network interface circuit configured to provide a communication port; and

a processing circuit configured to;

open a communication port on the network interface circuit to establish a communication session;

transmit infusion pump data to a server computer over the network during the communication session;

after the infusion pump data is transmitted to the server, transmit to the server computer a request for a command from the server computer during the communication session;

receive a command from the server computer;

determine whether the command is on a predetermined list of commands, the predetermined list of commands being a subset of functions the infusion pump is configured to perform;

process the command; and

close the communication port on the network interface.

2. The infusion pump of claim 1, wherein after processing the command the processing circuit is configured to close all communication ports provided by the network interface circuit.

3. The infusion pump of claim 1, wherein the command is processed by retrieving additional infusion pump data from memory and transmitting the additional infusion pump data to the server computer.

4. The infusion pump of claim 1, wherein the predetermined list of commands comprises a command to report a dataset version operable on the infusion pump, a command to receive a new dataset file, and a request for infusion events that occurred during an infusion process, wherein the list of commands excludes a command to start an infusion.

5. The infusion pump of claim 1, wherein the network interface circuit is configured to block commands from the server computer which are not sent in response to the request for command transmitted by the infusion pump.

6. The infusion pump of claim 1, wherein the infusion pump is configured to operate a hypertext transfer protocol when communicating with the server computer.

7. The infusion pump of claim 1, wherein after processing the command the processing circuit is configured to transmit another request for command to the server.

8. The infusion pump of claim 7, wherein the processing circuit is configured to continue transmitting requests for command after processing commands until such time as an indication of no further commands is received from the server.

9. A server computer with improved network access security to an infusion pump, comprising:

a network interface circuit configured to provide communications over a network; and

a processing circuit configured to;

determine a need to command an infusion pump;

store an indication of the need to command the infusion pump in a memory;

after storing the indication of the need to command the infusion pump in memory;

establish a communication session with the infusion pump to receive an infusion pump data message from an infusion pump;

store infusion pump data from the message in a memory;

after storing the infusion pump data, receive a request for a command from the infusion pump during the communication session;

generate an infusion pump command based on the need to command the infusion pump;

transmit the infusion pump command to the infusion pump;

receive additional infusion pump data in response to the infusion pump command; and

store the additional infusion pump data in memory.

10. The server computer of claim 9, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to receive a user request for a report and to generate report data for display comprising the infusion pump data and the additional infusion pump data.

11. The server computer of claim 9, wherein the processing circuit is configured to hold the indication of the need to command the infusion pump in memory until the request for a command is received from the client computer.

12. The server computer of claim 9, wherein the infusion pump command is a request for a current version of an operating parameter library stored in the infusion pump.

13. The server computer of claim 9, wherein the infusion pump command is a request for events that occurred during infusion operations.

14. The server computer of claim 13, wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine the need to command the infusion pump in a case where previously received infusion pump data indicate an event is missing from the previously received infusion pump data.

15. The server computer of claim 9, wherein the processing circuit is configured to not send any command to the infusion pump except in response to receiving the request for command from the infusion pump.

16. The server computer of claim 9, wherein the infusion pump command is a request for a network connection status of the infusion pump.

17. A system for communicating between a plurality of infusion pumps and a server computer with improved network security, comprising:

a plurality of infusion pumps, each infusion pump comprising;

a network interface circuit configured to provide communications over a network, the network interface circuit configured to provide a communication port; and

a processing circuit configured to;

open a communication port on the network interface circuit to establish a communication session;

transmit data to a server computer over the network during the communication session;

after the infusion pump data is transmitted to the server, transmit to the server computer a request for a command from the server computer during the communication session;

receive a command from the server computer;

process the command; and

close the communication port on the network interface circuit,

wherein the network interface circuit is configured to block commands from the server computer which are not sent in response to the request for command transmitted by the infusion pump; and

a server computer, comprising;

a second network interface circuit configured to provide communications over the network; and

a processing circuit configured to;

determine a need to command an infusion pump;

store an indication of the need to command the infusion pump in a memory;

after storing the indication of the need to command the infusion pump in memory;

receive an infusion pump data message from an infusion pump;

store infusion pump data from the message in a memory;

receive the request for a command from the infusion pump;

generate an infusion pump command based on the need to command the infusion pump and in response to receiving the request for a command from the infusion pump;

transmit the infusion pump command to the infusion pump, whereby the infusion pump is commanded or controlled based on the infusion pump command send from the server computer.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the server computer is configured to not send any command to the infusion pump except in response to receiving the request for command from the infusion pump.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the request for a command is a hypertext transfer protocol request and the infusion pump command is a hyptertext transfer protocol request.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the infusion pump command is a command to send a current operating mode of the infusion pump to the server.